Tetravalent Fabs-In-Tandem immunoglobulins (FIT-Ig™) technology combines Fab fragments of any 2 parental mAbs create a tetravalent, dual-targeting single molecular entity, where the FabA is structurally fused to FabB in tandem at its N-terminus (Fig. 1a). A unique crisscross orientation of 2 sets of VH-CH1 and VL-CL evades any mispairing problem between two short chains and long chain. FIT-Ig have a complete Fc domain which is required for the formation of a disulfide-linked full IgG-like molecule. There is no peptide linker between two Fab moieties, no amino acid mutation in any area, and no altered Fab domain, which potentially reduce the immunogenicity risk. FIT-Ig design also provides enough flexibility allowing independent target engagement by the two antigen binding domains, as the two Fabs are connected only in one chain, instead of in both chains, therefore providing enough space for the lower domain to engage even a large antigen without any steric hindrance. FIT-Ig molecule is symmetrical and composed of long chains, 2 short chains during expression (Fig. 1b). The proper assembly is influenced by molar ratio of 3 polypeptide chains. It is known Fab domain usually have equivalent antigen specificity with mAb. FIT-Ig that utilizes 2 intact Fab domains tend to retains target binding of both parental mAbs. FIT-Ig molecule therefore can be designed based on the properties of the 2 parental mAbs.
Formats of bispecific antibodies (BsAbs)
Many formats have been developed for BsAb generation as listed in the following table.
Format | Schematic structure | Description | Example BsAb | Trademark | Company |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
tandem VHH | Tandem VHH fragment-based BsAb | N/A | |||
tandem scFv | Tandem ScFv fragment-based BsAb | AMG330 | BiTETM | Amgen | |
Dual-affinity re-targeting antibody | Tandem domain-exchanged Fv (can also be used to fuse with Fc domain to create whole Abs) | Flotetuzumab | DARTTM | Macrogenics | |
Diabody | dimer of single-chain Fv (scFv) fragment | vixtimotamab | ReSTORETM | Amphivena Therapeutics | |
(scFv)2-Fab | a Fab domain and two scFv domains bind | A-337 | ITabTM | Generon/EVIVE Biotech | |
Rat–mouse hybrid IgG | Full-size IgG-like half antibodies from two different species | Catumaxomab | TriomabTM | Trion Pharma | |
Hetero heavy chain, Common light chain | Hetero heavy chain, Common light chain | Emicizumab | ART-IgTM | Genentech/ Chugai/Roche | |
Controlled Fab arm exchange | Recombin the parental half antibodies | JNJ-64007957 | DuobodyTM | Genmab/ Janssen | |
Hetero H, forced HL IgG1 | KIH technology for heterodimerization of 2 distinct H chains, replacing the native disulfide bond in one of the CH1-CL interfaces with an engineered disulfide bond to enhance the cognate of H and L paring | MEDI5752 | DuetMabTM | MedImmune/ AstraZeneca | |
cH IgG1 | Identical heavy chains; 2 different light chains: one kappa (κ) and one lambda (λ) | NI-1701 | κλ bodyTM | Novimmune SA | |
Hetero H, CrossMab | KIH technology; domain crossover of immunoglobulin domains in the Fab region | Vanucizumab | CrossMabTM | Roche | |
scFv-Fab IgG | Fab-Fc; ScFv-Fc | Vibecotamab; M802 | XmabTM (the engineered Fc to enhance the generation of heterodimeric Fc); YBODYTM | Xencor/Amgen; YZYBio | |
VH1-VH2-CH1-Fc1(G1) x VL2-VL1-CL-Fc2(G1) | 2 binding motif in one half antibody | SAR440234 | CODV-IgTM | Sanofi | |
VL1-CL1-VH2-CH2-Fc x VH1-CH1 x VL2-CL2 | 2 binding motif in one half antibody | EMB-01 | FIT-IgTM | EPIMAB BIOTHERAPEUTICS | |
VH-1-TCR Cα x VL-1-TCR Cβ; VH-2-CH-2-Fc x VL-2-CL-2 | KIH technology; TCR Cα/Cβ is used to substitute the CH1 and CL domain in one arm | WuXibodyTM | WuXi Biologics | ||
C-terminal linker of Fc | Link the other molecules at the C-terminal of Fc | APVO442 | ADAPTIR-FLEXTM | Aptevo Therapeutics | |
Fc antigen binding site | 2 natural binding sites; 2 additional binding sites in the Fc loop | FS118 | mAb2 | F-star Therapeutics |